ACIT4410 Agile Service Delivery and Developer Operations Course description

This course has a focus on the practices and technologies used for network-based services such as large web sites and backend systems. It provides topics specific to large architectures, such as: containers, service architectures, load balancing and service continuity. In addition, topics which are relevant for working with software projects often found in this context are covered, such as release management, automated testing and agile development principles.

No formal requirements over and above the admission requirements.

The student should have the following outcomes upon completing the course:

Knowledge

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will:

• have advanced knowledge of service architectures and how they are applied in the industry
• have advanced knowledge of the platforms used to deploy large-scale services
• have a deep understanding of the principle of service continuity and the techniques and methods used to make services scalable and robust
• have a deep understanding of the DevOps movement and its history
• have expert insight into release management from an operations perspective

Skills

Upon successful completion of the course, the student:

• can evaluate and discuss a service architecture in relationship to the intended service function with regard to performance, scale and robustness
• can apply load balancing and scaling techniques in order to create robust services
• can define release-management strategies
• can evaluate and discuss a release-management plan in relationship to an agile development project

General competence

Upon successful completion of the course, the student:

• can discuss the state of agile service management in the industry
• can communicate challenges, analysis and conclusions in developer operations with regard to service architectures and release management to specialists as well as the general public

The exam in the course is a semester assignment. The scope of the assignment must have a scope of 3.500 words (+/- 10%). The front page, table of contents and reference list come in addition to this. Font and font size: Arial/Calibri 12 points. Line spacing 1.5.

The assignment can be written individually or in pairs on agreement with the person responsible for the course.

Students awarded a fail grade are given one opportunity to submit an improved version of the assignment for assessment

This course uses the flipped classroom methodology to cover topics in its theoretical form as homework and let students experience them with hands-on work in the classroom. Students work individually in order to complete technical assignments. Lab-work is supervised by the teacher who provides feedback to the student along the way.

Students will organize their work surrounding a chosen project. The project report will based on a task which they can choose from a list of available projects. The task will be a combination of technical work along with a theoretical discussion.

Towards the end of the course, students will spend more time on their own projects in class under continuous supervision from the course teachers. Students can use that time to discuss approaches and challenges to their own projects.

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The course provides insight into the literature on collaboration and collaborative management within the public sector and between the public and other sectors of society. Collaborative management will be placed in a theoretical and contextual perspective. Students are presented literature discussing collaboration and collaborative management in different contexts. The course deals with collaboration regarding the formulation and implementation of public policy, innovations in public sectors and service production. Furthermore, the course discusses challenges concerning collaboration across different tiers and sectors of government, and among public, private and third sector actors. Emphasis will be placed on theories on leadership and governance in the context of collaboration, where the differences between hierarchical and more equal relations between actors is elucidated.

Language of instruction is Norwegian.

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After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has

• in-depth knowledge about collaboration and collaborative management in the public sector
• in-depth knowledge of the preconditions for implementing public policy through collaboration
• in-depth knowledge on how collaboration can promote innovation in the public sector
• thorough insight into how organisational and social factors affect roles and freedom of action to exercise administration and management at different administrative levels

Skills

The student is capable of

• assessing how barriers to collaboration among different actors and organizations can be approached through collaborative management
• assessing in what situations collaborative innovations are appropriate, and the demands such innovation processes put on collaborative management
• assessing different forms of governance and coordination mechanisms

General competence

The student is capable of

• analysing and taking a critical approach to different sources of information and using them to structure and formulate arguments in the field

The teaching is session-based in the form of lectures, student presentations, discussions, group work and seminars. Students will write assignments between the sessions. A high degree of independent activity is expected. Teaching will be based on examples and cases from the students' practical experiences.

The following coursework requirements must have been approved for the student to take the exam:

• Coursework 1: The students are required to submit a 1-2 page memo outlining the topic and research question for the semester assignment (cf. Assessment).

The aim of the coursework is to develop skills in applying knowledge to analyze challenges in the public sector and in communicating academic issues effectively.

All required coursework must be completed and approved by the given deadline for the student to take the exam. If the coursework requirements have not been approved, the student will be given one opportunity to submit an improved version by a given deadline.